Silent Love
by XinconceivableX
Summary: After the war, Severus assumed that his life would continue on the same lonely, bitter path that it had always been on, but an impromptu rescue changes all that. Now Severus has to deal with a young orphan who has become surprisingly attached to him and an irritating Gryffindor witch who's the only one who can help him. -Post battle. (updates will be slower)
1. Chapter 1

**(Disclaimer: Characters and world are J.K Rowling's, original characters and plot-are mine)**

 **Ok, I know that I'm in the middle of another story _Magic That Binds,_ which is another SS/HG story I'm doing, except much longer, (check it out btw the way. It is an M fic, but that's for language and some violence, I promise it' not extremely gory or anything like that) but this idea would not leave me alone.**

 **That being said, my priority is still on _Magic That Binds_ , but I won't give up or abandon this story either. It will definitely not be that long, but more than 5 chapters _…_ soooo probably 10 chapters? I don't know, we'll see where this goes. This is a Romance/family fic with ALOT of fluff (come on, its Snape with a little kid!)-so be warned. **

**Hope you enjoy the story!**

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Chapter 1

Smoke rose into the sky creating a dark cloud over the _Rosebush Orphanage_. The once pristine building, overcrowded after the war, was now a sad sight, as flames licked across its brick walls. Nearby, evacuated caretakers and children huddled in fear, staring in dismay as their home was slowly destroyed.

Not too far away from the innocent crowd, a group of aurors were gathered around the criminal responsible for the devastation. The crazed arsonist squirmed on the ground, his hands magically bound behind his back and his legs tied up. He was screaming incoherent obscenities as one of the aurors walked over and pressed his boot into his back to keep him in place.

A dark figure, standing apart from the magical enforcers watched, indifferently, as his one time associate was man-handled. One of his thick raven colored brows rose imperiously as the captured man called for his help.

His mouth twitched up in a smirk, amused that the criminal, who not even a minute before had tried to take off his head, was now begging for his aid. _Oh how the mighty have fallen._

"Severus," a young dark haired auror called to the observing wizard, adjusting his glasses as he walked over.

"Mr. Potter," Severus answered, dragging his eyes away from the amusing scene to give the Boy-who-lived his attention. He silently waited for the younger man to speak.

"They're taking Yaxley away now," Harry said, looking over at the distraught group of children. "The building is a lost cause, too much Fiendfyre, but at least there were no causalities. Thank Merlin today was field trip day."

Severus grunted in response. Though the relationship between the two had cooled after the end of the war, they still were not bosom buddies. Nor would they ever be, not if Severus could help it. Still the two had reached an understanding and though their relationship wasn't exactly friendly, it was still amiable.

"Listen Severus, I just wanted to thank you for tracking down Yaxley and coming with us on this run. We couldn't have done this without you," Harry said, holding out his hand.

Severus hesitated only a second before he grabbed the other wizard's hand and shook it. "It's of no consequence, Potter. It's fortunate that Yaxley is the last of them."

Harry let out a relieved smile, "yes. I'm glad that we only have to worry about the lesser deatheaters now."

"Hmm," Severus agreed.

The two wizards were about to leave with the other aurors when a frantic woman ran up to them. She grasped onto Harry's arms, tears streaming down her face.

"Please," she cried, pointing towards the burning building, "we're missing a child."

"What?" Harry asked, alarmed. He took the woman's hand trying to calm her down so he could get more information. "Who's missing? Do you know where she was last?"

The woman nodded, gripping him tighter. "We counted, then recounted the numbers, then we realized that Selene was not with us. Please, she must be in the building!"

"Are you sure she's in the building? Did she not go on the field trip with the rest of the kids?" Harry asked urgently.

"No! She had a tummy ache, so she was put to bed in the dorms on the third floor. Please, you have to help her!" the woman sobbed. Behind her the children were beginning to panic.

Before Harry could organize the aurors for a rescue, Severus was speeding past him and broomlessly flying up to the third floor windows. Casting a Bubblehead charm around his face so he could breath, he raced across the floor, dodging the questing flames of the Fiendfyre.

"Selene!" his deep voice called out, as he conjured up a stream of water to fight against the growing fire. "Selene!" he called again.

He rushed into another room, water gushing out of his wand. He was just about to leave, to search the next room on the floor when a small voice whimpered, "here," from behind a turned over bed.

Floating the bed away, Severus searched through the smoke, trying to find the owner of the voice. "Selene?" he asked, coughing as the cursed smoke began penetrating his bubble charm and getting into his airways. He strengthened the charm around him.

"Where are you?" he tried again, waving away the smoke in frustration. When he heard no answer, he growled out, "answer me child!"

"Here," the little voice croaked, weakened by the damaging smoke. Severus blew away the smoke, and inched forward until he found a small soot covered girl wedged under a night stand. Her legs were drawn close to her chest and wrapped up in her tiny arms. Deep brown eyes, leaking with tears, stared at the dark wizard. She was shaking in fear.

"Selene?" Severus asked, the girl nodded. "Give me your hand. I'm going to get you out of here." Around them the flames grew more vicious, circling the two of them like watching vultures.

The girl let out a relieved sob as she crawled out from under the nightstand. Just as she had finally managed to free herself, an ominous crack echoed throughout the house.

Severus' stomach dropped at the sound. The floor beneath creaked and the wizard barely had enough time to roll out of the way, before the floor gave out where he had once been kneeling. Flames shot up from the floor below, eagerly crawling through the gapping hole that was now between Severus and the crying girl. The floor shook under Severus, jolting him onto his back and knocking his wand away.

Mentally cursing, Severus tried to snatch his wand back, but it was too late, it had rolled straight into the hole, and was quickly eaten by the Fiendfyre's flames. "Shoot!" Severus looked at the weakening floor under the girl and knew that it was about to go out too. He wouldn't be able to jump over and get her without risking the entire thing collapsing. And now that he had no wand….

Across the gap, Selene had begun crying again, recapturing Severus' attention. "Selene, you're going to have to jump," he instructed loudly, trying to speak over the roaring of the fire.

Selene did not seem to like this idea. She shook her head emphatically, her eyes pleading with him to find another way, as she trembled with fear. She cried helplessly as they heard another loud crack.

The building was coming down.

"Augumenti!" Severus shouted, throwing a weak stream of water at the flames separated them. Without his wand the water wasn't nearly powerful enough to get rid of the flames, it was only able to temporarily keep them at bay. He didn't have much time to get them out of there before it was too late.

"Selene," he tried again, this time in what he hoped was a soothing tone. The girl lifted her head, her lip quivering. "Listen to me," he continued, "I promise you, I **will** catch you, but I need you to trust me."

"Look at me," he said and brown eyes met black. He held out his right hand, wandless shooting more water at the flames with the other. "See, I'm keeping the fire away. I can get you to safety too. You want to get out of here right?"

Selene nodded cautiously.

Severus released his breath, glad that he was finally getting somewhere. "Good, I can get you to safety, but I need you to trust me and jump." When Selene whimpered helplessly again Severus stretched his hand out further.

Keeping his eyes locked with hers, Severus motioned for her to move closer. "I'll catch you. Trust me, I'll catch you."

Selene, coming to a decision, began crawling towards the older man. With an encouraging nod from Severus, she squeezed her eyes shut and jumped across the gap.

Standing up, Severus rushed forward, snatching the girl mid-air and clutching her to his chest. Not stopping to check her over he immediately began running towards a window, tripping as the ground rumbled below them as the entire building began splitting in two.

The roof above them started to collapse under the stress and the floor shifted as one side of the building began tilting towards the ground. "Come on, come on," Severus muttered to himself, pushing through the falling debris, while trying to keep his cargo away from the flames.

With no time to spare for opening windows, Severus sent out a magical blast that blew away the whole wall, and provided a much needed escape. Just as Severus was about to jump out of the building and fly away to freedom, a falling beam hit him in the head, making him stumble forward through his impromptu exit.

Disoriented and in pain, the wizard fell, unable to save himself or the small girl still clinging to his neck. The last thought Severus had before he fell unconscious, was that he hoped Potter would be able to catch the two of them.

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 **A/N: and there it is the first chapter. Let me know what you think. (to those waiting for the next _Magic_ chapter-it'll be up soon!) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally I'm back! Thank you everyone who's taken the time to read this story. All the positive reviews and alerts are making me do a happy jig.**

 **I'm still working on my other story, now called, _Magic That Binds_ (-check it out when you have time, by the way ;D ), so updates will still be slow going on this story, but I WILL NOT abandon this story! I promise!**

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Chapter 2

His head was pounding and to make matters worse, he had no idea where he was. Groaning, Severus blinked open his eyes, immediately wincing at the light. He squinted against the irritation as he tried to take in his surroundings. "Where am I?" his weak voice croaked.

"You are currently resting in the Hogwarts Infirmary," a familiar voice said beside him. Turning his head, Severus looked at the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall sitting beside him. She looked just the same as he remembered, maybe a little more worn and aged after the war, but her eyes were just as sharp as ever as they took him in. No doubt her mind and tongue were equally as sharp.

"Why-" Severus cleared his throat when it cracked. "Why am I here?" he asked, attempting to sit up in his bed.

"Ah! Well, you see, when a person decides to charge head first into a burning, cursed house that's filled with Fiendfyre flames, they nearly always need medical attention afterwards," she remarked drily.

 _Oh ha ha. She's feeling witty today. Perfect._

"Yes, thank you Minerva. Really, I don't know how I survive without your witty banter harassing me in the mornings anymore," he responded, his tone just as equally droll.

"Well then, you'll just have to come by for tea more often."

"I shall think about it. Now tell me why I am at Hogwarts, instead of St. Murgos. This better not be another ploy to get me teaching again," he growled threateningly.

Even if Minerva did save his life, he had no intention of coming back to Hogwarts to teach. Nothing on this Earth could persuade him to step into a classroom again. His days of putting up with those snot-nosed ankle biters died when Voldemort did.

He worked for the Ministry's Department of Potions now, and even though he hated it and the Ministry with a passion, it was better than being stuck in a dingy classroom surrounded by children and even professors who all hated him. With his new job he could work in relative solitude at least, and he knew that was the best he could expect in life. So, no matter what Minerva said, it would never convince him to come back.

"You were originally at St. Murgos, but when Selene was moved here, so were you," Minerva said, slightly nervous.

Severus narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why would I be moved here just because of the girl? What aren't you telling me, Minerva?"

"Well," Minerva began, straightening her robes absentmindedly, "every time we tried to move you to a different room, Selene would cry out in distress as if in pain, even when she was unconscious."

Severus stared at McGonagall incredulously. "So, give the girl some dreamless sleep or put her in a magical coma."

Minerva scoffed, "do you think that wasn't tried? I assure you, all avenues were rigorously exhausted before it was decided that keeping the two of you together was the best option."

Severus opened his mouth to speak, but Minerva barreled on. "I understand that this situation is not the most ideal, but we needed to keep the girl calm enough to heal properly. Surely you can understand our desperation. The girl was severely burned by the Fiendfyre and her being distressed was not helping her healing process."

Severus glared at his old colleague. "I'm not complaining about the care you are giving to the girl, Minerva. I want to know why **I** am here and why **my** proximity soothes her."

"Ah, yes. Well we couldn't come up with any concrete answers-"

"But you have an idea," Severus cut in, his sharp eyes boring into the Headmistress, making her fidget in her seat. She was looking everywhere but at him, confirming his suspicions. "You know something Minerva. Don't even try to lie to me. Lord knows, Gryffindors are abysmal liars, so don't waste your breath."

Minerva huffed, "of course I have an idea on why this is occurring. I have several ideas, in fact, but I refuse to give any of them credence without looking into them properly, first."

When he moved to protest, she stopped him with a raised hand. "Now, I don't want to hear it Severus. I will not start throwing random theories in the air in the hopes that one of them sticks. Nor, will I get your hopes up or have you running in a tizzy, only to later find out I was wrong."

"Fine," he snapped, crossing his arms petulantly, "but I will be conducting my own research the minute the girl is well enough."

Minerva nodded, looking relieved and entirely too pleased with the outcome of their conversation. "That's fair enough. Thank you for cooperating, Severus."

The wizard narrowed his eyes, slightly irritated that the witch believed him capable of knowingly causing a child pain, even inadvertently. He was purposely harsh with his students, yes, but they were snotty teenagers, not little six-year-old girls, and at the end of the day, they were just words. It wasn't as if he physically abused them.

Minerva must have seen where his thoughts were going from his expression, because her gaze softened and she rested a hand tenderly on his shoulder.

"I apologize, that did not come out how I wished it would. I know you would have cooperated with us, regardless. This entire situation has just left me flustered. You are a good man, Severus Snape. I know this," Minerva said gently.

Severus, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, changed the subject to a safer, and much less emotional path. "Yes, well," he muttered, "you still have not told me why I'm here, specifically."

Minerva blinked, settling back into her chair. "I've told you already, Selene-"

"I understand that you wanted to keep me close to the girl, but why have you brought us to Hogwarts. St. Murgos would have suitably sufficed for our needs."

"Oh well, to keep her close to her guardians and her peers, of course," Minerva supplied.

"Do you mean the other children from the Orphanage? What are they doing here?" Severus asked.

McGonagall sighed sadly, "Rosebush Orphanage, I'm afraid to say, was completely destroyed, thanks to the Fiendfyre. There was nothing left but ash and debris by the time the fire finally died out. We are fortunate that the only casualty was a building, but that still leaves a large number of orphans with no where to go and the ministry…" She trailed off, sharing a look with Severus.

She didn't need to finish her sentence. Severus already knew where it was going. Even now, two years after the war had finished, repairs to the Wizarding World were slow going. The damage had been too severe. Too many people died, too many fled Britain, too many buildings and wizarding neighborhoods were destroyed, and the ministry was already stretched thin trying to cover the repairs. Rebuilding part of a country, even with magic, was not a cheap or easy undertaking.

"So I've decided to offer the children and their guardians a place to stay, until other accommodations came be made. We have the room. Besides, it's not as if we have other pressing matters to take care of, what with the students away for their summer break. The House Elves were besides themselves with joy, when they spotted the little ones coming through."

Severus rolled his eyes. Of course the Elves were excited. The younger the children, the more work there was to be had, and unfortunately, because of the war, there were plenty of young orphans now in need of care. "I can imagine. So, how long will the girl be staying in the infirmary?"

Minerva nodded towards the next bed over, where Selene and the reason for Severus' return to Hogwarts, was resting. Her small sleeping face was scrunched up and partially hidden behind a messy set of brown bangs. Clutched tightly to her chest, and pressing comically against her cheek, was a large black teddy bear with a big red bow tied around its neck.

The wizard blinked, surprised that he hadn't noticed the presence of someone else in the room, until just then.

 _I must be more out of it then I first realized,_ Severus thought.

"Poppy was finally able to get her to rest," the Headmistress said, as they watched Selene fidget in her sleep. "There was more damage then we originally thought. Not only was her right leg badly burned, but there was also massive damage done to her lungs and vocal cords, from all the smoke inhalation. The mediwitches did all they could, but Fiendfyre smoke can be just as destructive as the actual flames."

"And she was in the building too long," Snape finished for her.

McGonagall nodded. "The burn on her leg has been healed, and she should be walking in two days time. They've also cleaned out the smoke from her lungs, but she'll probably still have some breathing problems for a few years. As for her voice…"

"That bad?" Severus was almost afraid to ask. If the look on Minerva's face was anything to go by, what she had to say next would be nothing good.

Minerva looked down at her hands as she quietly responded, "They said that the damage was too severe to fix…She won't be able to speak again."

Severus looked back at the sleeping child. He felt a twinge of sympathy for her. Not only did she have to live through a traumatic ordeal, but she had also lost her voice, and all because of a madman who couldn't accept that his master was gone.

"The poor girl. Only seven years old and already, she's been through so much," Minerva said and with a great sigh, she pushed herself up to stand. "Well, I must go. I have some theories to verify, you know."

"Of course," Severus said, his thoughts still on the girl lying in the bed next to him.

"I shall leave you to your rest then. Have a good afternoon, Severus, and if you need anything, you have but to ask," Minerva stated.

Severus bowed his head in gratitude, suddenly tired. Lying back down on his bed, he managed to murmur, "My thanks, Headmistress," before sleep over came him once more.

* * *

It was after Midnight when Severus woke up again to the sound of a bed creaking.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he pulled himself up to a sitting position and looked around. A frustrated grunt came from his right, and his bleary eyes immediately fell upon the black teddy bear, that was now on the floor between his bed and the girl's, and the tiny arms that were struggling to reach it. Severus watched the girl, a look of intense concentration on her face, as she stretched with all of her might to secure her precious bear. Half of her body was already hanging off the side of the bed to compensate for her short limbs. If she reached any further, she would probably fall on her head.

With a put upon sigh, Severus shrugged out of his bed, and picked up the bear to give Selene. Slightly teary brown eyes looked up at him, blinking in surprise.

"There, now please desist all that infernal struggling." The wizard turned to leave, but a small tug on his infirmary gown caused him to pause. He looked down at the tiny clenched fist on his person with a raised brow.

"Is there a reason you are accosting me?" Severus asked smoothly, his voice not as biting as it would usually be in this situation. Perhaps it was the sympathy he felt towards the girl, or the fact that she was too young for him to make any spiteful comments towards her with a clear conscious, but for whatever reason he remained still, and pliant in the girl's grip.

Said girl, opened her mouth to speak, but started to violently cough the minute she tried to use her ruined vocal cords. Severus swooped down to her side to pat her back. Grabbing the pitcher of water on her bedside table, and filling a glass, he held it up to Selene's lips and helped her take a slow sip.

"Do not try to talk, you will only hurt yourself," Severus told her gruffly, still rubbing her back awkwardly. _Where in Merlin's name is Poppy? She should be the one taking care of the girl, not me._

When he felt the girl was sufficiently calm once more, he carefully tried to leave to the safety of his bed. Another tug on his gown stopped him, before he could escape. The wizard's shoulders slumped in defeat, as he turned back to the wide-eyed child.

She opened her mouth once again, but a stern look from him, stopped her in her tracks. Her little brows scrunched up in frustration, and hot tears welled up in her eyes, as she realized she had no way of conveying her message.

Seeing her tears, Severus looked around the room in a panic, cursing Poppy and her absence. He turned back to Selene, nervously. How was he supposed to deal with a crying child? He was Severus Snape, notorious spy, and Ex-Death Eater, he didn't know what to do with crying children. He made them cry occasionally, back when he was still teaching, but he never comforted them.

Hesitantly, Severus brought one arm around Selene's small shoulders, and held her stiffly. This seemed to be enough for the girl, since she immediately burrowed into his hold and laid her head on his chest.

Severus froze, completely out of his element. He had a burning desire to throw the girl off of him and run in the opposite direction without a backward glance, but even he wasn't that heartless. So instead he just sat there, precariously seated on the edge of her bed, with a straight back and with far too many nerves to actually breath.

The seconds slowly turned into minutes, and eventually Selene's sniffles faded into soft snores, her face securely pressed against his body. Glancing down at the sleeping girl in his arms, Severus shifted in his seat.

 _Now what?_

He tried to wiggle out of her vice-like grasp and return to his bed, but every attempt he made was met with a sad whimper and a tightening grip. Eventually, he just gave up trying to get free and settled himself more comfortably on the bed. His arms fell uselessly to his sides, as Selene shifted to over to lie more securely on his torso. Her black teddy bear, still firmly held in her left arm, was now pushing uncomfortably into his face.

Severus stared up at the infirmary's ceiling, morosely. He was irritated, completely baffled, and in danger of suffering from a severe headache any minute now.

How on Earth did he get himself into this situation? How was he supposed to deal with the girl? More importantly, how was he going to get back to his bed before anyone saw him like this?

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 **A/N: Aww, poor Severus is way over his head…. ;)**

 **Next chapter: Hermione finally comes onto the scene!**

 **Don't forget to review! Thanks! (Now back to _Magic That Binds_!) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! I seem to be on fire this week. I got both a chapter for Magic That Binds and this story out! Woot!**

 **Of course, I want to thank everyone who left a review or alerted this story, the support is absolutely amazing and it makes me want to dance!**

 **Now on to the story, hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 3

Hermione looked down at the letter in her hands, excitement dripping from her every pore. This was it. This was the letter that she had been waiting for. Gathering the stack of envelopes on her small nightstand, she threw them all into the trash bin without a second thought. They wouldn't be needed anymore, now that this letter had come through.

Still smiling, Hermione gave the owl, still perched in her window, several treats more than necessary. He deserved it after all, bringing such wonderful news.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cooed, stroking its feathers lovingly. Then, snatching up her letter, she ran out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen, where she danced around her confused and slightly amused mother.

"Hermione, what on earth has gotten into you?" Mrs. Granger asked, watching her daughter with her brows raised.

Hermione twirled around, skipping to her mother's side and throwing her arms around her in a fierce hug. She then placed the letter in the older woman's hands. "Read it!" Hermione sang, swishing her wand, and charming the kitchen's broom to waltz around the room with her.

Chuckling at her daughter's antics, Mrs. Granger took out her glasses, perching them on her nose to read the piece of parchment in front of her. Her pale blue eyes ran over the words of the letter, widening with every second. Finally, Mrs. Granger put down the letter, turning to her daughter with a dawning smile.

"Is this…" her mother trailed off.

Hermione bounced in place, completely thrilled. "Yes! It is! I've got the job at Hogwarts! My dream job!"

"My dear, this is fantastic news! Oh, let's go out tonight to celebrate."

"Sure thing, though we can't stay out too late. Minerva wants me to drop by tomorrow, so we can have tea," Hermione responded, skipping out of the room and to the living room, where their newly connected floo was.

She had to share the good news with Harry and Ginny. Heck, she might even share it with the whole Weasley family and anyone else willing to hear. It was the type of news that begged to be shared with the world and spread across every newspaper.

She could see the headline now: _'Hermione Granger, the New Charms Professor at Hogwarts.'_

 _Life is good,_ she thought to herself as she threw the floo powder into the fireplace.

* * *

Severus swirled his brandy in his glass tumbler before taking a small sip and releasing a satisfied sigh. He raised the glass in a silent toast, though no one was around in his empty room to respond to it, but that didn't matter. In fact, it was preferred. There was no one around to pester him, or to fuss over him and he was content, even if he was still being held hostage here by Minerva and Poppy.

He rubbed at his chest that was still aching slightly. Probably a result of dashing into a burning building, a wound that had yet to fully heal, and laid his head back against the back of his armchair. He shifted in his seat until he was comfortable, taking another slow sip of his brandy. His chest twinged again in pain, but he ignored it, determined to relax. He wasn't going to let this rare opportunity for quiet be disturbed by a few chest pains. For now, he had his peaceful solitude back and he was going to bask in it while he had the chance.

Unfortunately, said chance lasted all of two minutes, when a sharp knock rapped on the door to his quarters. Severus opened one eye, looking at the offending piece of wood before dropping his head back on his chair. He prayed that whoever was on the other side of the door would get the hint, realize they were being ignored, and go away.

Of course, fate hated him, so it should be no surprise that the intruder did not take the hint and continued to knock on the door, the knocks getting progressively louder with each passing second. Finally, an exasperated voice came through the wood.

"Severus, I know you are there. I'm sorry to interrupt you at this time of night, but we need your help," Minerva's stern voice floated, unbidden into his sitting room.

 _So deal with it yourself!_ Severus thought, viciously, sinking further into his chair. He wouldn't answer her, no matter what 'crisis' she came up with. Just because he was temporarily residing in the castle again ('coincidently' in his old dungeons quarters, if Minerva was to be believed), didn't mean he would take up his old post as the resident fixer. Let them fix their own problems and leave him be. He was more than content to let the title pass on to the next sucker, who was fool enough to take it.

"Severus, please, it's Selene."

The dark wizard paused in his chair, absentmindedly rubbing his chest. He felt oddly distressed at the thought of the little girl in trouble and found himself opening his door and following the Headmistress to the infirmary, before he realized what he was doing.

As Severus rushed through the infirmary doors, only a second passing, as he took in the situation fully. A grey-haired woman was trying to hold a wildly bucking Selene down, as Poppy hovered over the child with a cup of, what Severus assumed to be a calming draught, in her hand. The reason the mediwitch couldn't administer the potion was apparent, as Selene had both of her eyes and mouth tightly shut, as she shook her head back and forth mulishly.

The older woman, who was trying to hold Selene in place, was cooing softly in the child's ear, whispering reassuring words and pleading with Selene to stay still.

Eyes narrowing, Severus stormed up to Selene's bed and barked out, "Enough of this!" Whether the wizard was talking to the two witches who were restraining the child or the girl who was trying her best to throw them off, was unknown. Nor was it necessary to know, since all three of them froze as if struck by an Immobulus Charm.

"You two." Severus pointed at the two older witches. "Step back and give her room to breath." They opened their mouths to protest, but Severus ignored them, turning to the small girl, who was staring at him with owl eyes, her mouth forming a perfect, little O.

"As for you," Severus started, looking down into Selene's curious face, "if you are going to act like an animal, bucking about as you were, then you will be treated like an animal. Now, you will behave and take whatever potions, Poppy gives you. Am I clear?"

Selene, nodded, still staring into Severus face in awe and delight. Slightly discomfited by the girl's open gaze, he backed up, straightening his robes unnecessarily. He turned to the other witches in the room.

"Now, I expect to be left alone for the remainder of the evening. Good day, ladies," Severus instructed briskly, turning on his heel to leave, but he didn't get far, as Selene's hand had, once again, quickly shot out and dug into the soft fabric of his robes.

Severus turned back around sharply, his black eyes narrowed as he looked into the girl's innocent and pleading brown orbs. His voice when he spoke, came out much gentler than he wanted.

"Why are you hanging on to my robes?" the wizard asked accusingly. It was turning into a pattern between them and he found he didn't like it. It smacked of familiarity and no one was familiar with the Potions master. It was a fact of life. How could she not know it?

When Selene went to open her mouth and reply, he immediately brought a hand up to stop her. "Now, none of that. You will recall what happened last time."

Tears of frustration welled within Selene's eyes, and Severus scrambled to think of a solution to avoid them. The thought of a crying female on his hands was not appealing.

A thought popped in his head, a possible temporary answer to their communication problems, but the legalities surrounding it were questionable. Still, as tears began to flow down the girl's tanned cheeks and her sniffles became more pronounced, he decided to throw caution to the wind, along with the ethical ramifications of what he was about to do. This was an emergency and he thought if there was ever a good reason to illegally invade a person's privacy, this situation was it.

He leaned down so his face was level with the child's. With a softly whispered, "legilimens", he swept his way into Selene's mind, slightly surprised at how easy it was. There was absolutely no resistance. Severus didn't even encounter any of the natural mental barriers that were instinctive and present in all humans, even small children. He had never been in such an opened mind before.

 _Selene?_ He called out, his voice still low. He didn't want to give the poor girl a headache.

Selene's eyes widened comically as she realized what was happening, though she didn't break eye contact.

 _You can talk in your mind, child. Just think the words in your head and I'll be able to hear them,_ Severus spoke in her mind.

A large, toothy grin erupted on Selene's face. _Really? You can hear me?_ Her small voice, sweet and with the smallest lisp, was unmarred, in her mind, by the damages from Fiendfyre.

 _Yes, I can hear you_ , Severus confirmed patiently, causing the girl to mentally giggle happily. Strangely enough, Severus wasn't put off by the sound, a sound, which, from any other child would have had his teeth grinding in irritation. He could almost imagine her mentally clapping her hands while she laughed, and the thought caused his mouth to quirk up into a miniscule grin. _Now listen, Madame Pomfrey will give you some Dreamless Sleep Potion so that you can rest. And you need to rest, if you are ever going to be well enough to leave the infirmary._

 _Will you leave?_ Selene asked.

 _I must rest myself, and will most likely return to my room to do so, yes._

This idea obviously didn't sit well with the girl, who responded with, _please stay! I don't like it when you go!_

Severus hesitated, completely uncomfortable with the request. He didn't want to stay there, he wanted to go back to his rooms, heal up completely, so he could leave Hogwarts and this entire affair behind him permanently. But, that would probably only start the girl off crying again and he wanted to deal with that little bit of drama even less. So he replied, _I shall think on it._

Selene, seeming to understand that the non-answer was the best answer she was going to get, nodded and laid back down on her bed, breaking their mental connection. He brown eyes, now filled with acceptance, turned to Madame Pomfrey expectantly.

Poppy, taking her cue, quickly vanished the calming draught and called a Dreamless Sleep Potion to her, pouring a small dose in a cup for the girl. Selene was asleep in seconds.

Severus straightened from his position and stood beside the bed. His stiff and aloof demeanor, which had unknowingly lifted momentarily while he was talking to Selene, was back in place. He turned around to face the three older witches and found a pair of shrewd eyes examining him.

It was the grey-haired stranger, a care-taker from the school, Severus assumed. She seemed even older than Minerva, yet no less spry or sharp.

"I am Yira, the owner of Rosebush Orphanage," she said, her voice steady and filled with authority. It was the kind of voice that belonged to someone not only knowledgeable and wise, but someone who demanded respect and to be listened to. "And you," she continued, eyeing him, "must be the man who saved Selene's life."

Severus raised an eyebrow, at her tone. She might be used to the children cowering under her stare, and even the occasional adult, but he certainly wasn't one of them. "I got her out of the building, yes," Severus responded, his voice equally as sharp.

Instead of being insulted, Yira seemed to be amused and even delighted by the younger wizard who was trying to outplay her at her own game. She chuckled, smiling at him as she said, "then I must thank you for your bravery and for keeping one of my girls safe."

Severus hesitated for only a second, as if he were waiting for the other shoe to drop, before he simply nodded.

"And I must say," Yira went on, "I'm very surprised to see that Selene has formed a Semetus Vinculius bond with you. They are quite rare. I've only seen one other bond form, myself."

Severus blinked. "I beg your pardon? What is this Semetus Vinculius bond that you are talking about?"

Yira grinned at the darker wizard, who had no idea what he had gotten himself into. But he would know and soon. "The Semetus Vinculius bond is very ancient magic. It is a magical bond that forms naturally between children and their parents. It starts in the womb and can become stronger, or in some cases weaker, depending on the family, over time."

Severus looked at the older witch as if she had two heads. "And you think that this bond has been formed between me and the girl? No. You are mistaken. I assure you, I am not this child's father."

The wizard wrapped his robes around his body, preparing to leave the infirmary and forget this senile witch's crazy notions.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. Severus turned to meet the eyes of the headmistress, who looked oddly resigned. "Severus, she is not mistaken. I had my suspicious of course, and your arrival tonight has only confirmed them."

Severus shrugged Minerva's hand off, growling out, "I am not the girl's father!"

"You do not have to be," Yira explained, her arms folding in front of her, as she stared down the younger wizard. "While it occurs naturally between parents and children there are rare circumstances in which the bond can snap into place unknowingly…circumstances, like a life or death situation in which the child's magic latched onto the safest person she could find for protection."

The witch stared at him pointedly. "I have seen a bond take place like this before. The circumstances were not as dangerous, mind you, but it was just as sudden. Both parties exhibited the same symptoms as you two; the child's need to be close to their pseudo parent, the guardian's protectiveness of the child, their comfort and ease within each other's presence. It is all there."

Rubbing his temples against his rising headache, Severus glared at the older witch, as if this were all her fault. "How do we break the bond then?"

Yira narrowed her eyes, her answer coming out harsh and quick. "You don't," she snapped, "not unless you want to hurt Selene, and she has gone through quite enough pain, don't you think?"

Severus ground his teeth, fighting back the need to throw a hex at the bumptious witch. While he acknowledged that she was right and that Selene had gone through enough and to put her through more would be an excessively cruel act, he didn't like that that he was once again chained against his will to another person. But he was backed into a corner with no way out and he knew it.

"However," Yira added, "given enough time, the bond might dissolve on its own, when Selene feels safe enough. Until then, you only need to be around each other."

"I am not staying in the infirmary," Severus argued heatedly. If he had to put up with this entire disastrous situation, then he would at least deal with it in the privacy and comfort of his own space. He would be damned if these interfering hens would take that from him as well.

"Good!" Yira clapped her hands with a smile. "Now, that's settled then. Selene will move in with you tonight. Her leg has already pretty much healed and any other potions that she needs for her scars and her throat can easily be handled by you as well. Now, I'm off to bed. It's been a long day, and I'm too old to be gallivanting through the night like this."

Seeing Severus looking both completely lost and entirely pissed off, she paused, her gaze softening as she patted his shoulder in comfort. "Cheer up, boy. You've survived two wars and battled against an evil tyrant bent on destroying our world on a regular basis. I'm sure this will be a cake walk." With those parting words, Yira left the infirmary, talking with Minerva as they made the proper arrangements for Selene. Poppy trailed behind them, giving Severus a sympathetic smile as she passed.

Left alone in the room with Selene, who was still innocently sleeping away, completely ignorant of the havoc she just wreaked in his life. Severus watched the girl, his new responsibility, numbly, his thoughts and emotions too chaotic to pin down. One thought seemed to constantly prevail though, and he couldn't stop his tongue from letting it slip out into the quiet room.

"I think, I'd prefer dealing with the Dark Lord."

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 **A/N: The bit about the Semetus Vinculius bond: I got it off of Google translate. It was originally, Semen Vinculum (offspring bond), but then I switched it up a bit, to go with the other botched up latin spells within the HP world. So, the botching was on purpose!**

 **Anyway, hoped you liked it and as always leave a review and let me know what you think :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again, I know that it's been a while since I updated-sorry about that-but I'm having some unfortunate issues with Doc manager. It's not letting me upload whole chapters, so I have to copy and paste, then save it all in intervals. It's very annoying -_- So I'm not sure when the next chapter will be...For those of you reading _Magic That Binds,_ I'm hoping that I'll have a chapter up by tomorrow, but again, I just ****don't know. Hopefully, whatever bug that's messing with Doc Manager will be fixed soon.**

 **Until then, enjoy the next chapter!**

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Chapter 4

The feel of cool stone under Hermione's fingers was pleasant, though not as pleasant as the satisfying feeling of contentment she felt, now that she was back at Hogwarts. She took in a deep breath, reveling in the familiar scents of brisk Scottish air and old stone.

It was good to be home.

She continued walking down the cobbled stone floor, allowing the memories of her time spent within these walls to wash over her. She welcomed them. The laughter, even the tears, she welcomed them all with a pleased sigh.

Her steps were carefree, with no urgency behind them. With her usual prompt punctuality, she had arrived an hour earlier and had already had a lovely chat with her old Professor McGonagall.

 _No that's Minerva now,_ Hermione mentally reminded herself. The headmistress has insisted that old formal titles be dropped. They would be working together now, after all.

After being corrected on how to address her fellow professors, Hermione had been given the password to her new rooms. The Headmistress obviously knew her old pupil well, since she had given the self-proclaimed bookworm a room on the second floor, two doors down from the library.

If the brunette witch hadn't been trying to impress her old Head of House, she would have squealed in delight.

Grinning like a fool, Hermione turned a corner absentmindedly, stopping when she heard voices. Or rather one particularly familiar voice, that sounded like dark chocolate wrapped in velvet. Her heartbeat sped up in anticipation.

Peaking around the corner's edge to confirm her suspicions, Hermione, sure enough, spotted Professor Snape, gliding down the hallway. His usual ground eating pace was reduced to half a speed, so his robes were only mildly flickering behind them.

It was surreal watching the man walk down the hallway to her, after all this time. She had of course seen him at the various victory balls and events the ministry had forced them all to attend, (As if fighting and defeating one of the darkest wizards of their time wasn't enough for the public), but that was always from a distance.

Being apart of the Golden Trio, she was expected to dance, make witty banter, and rub elbows with all the 'important people', in the middle of the crowd. But Professor Snape, through some twist of luck-or more likely because Kingsley didn't want him to hex anyone-had been allowed to hang by the sides. A silent shadow at every dance, with, what she expected to be, several Notice-Me-Not Charms protecting him from the clearly unwanted attentions of his numerous fans.

Although, there was one occasion that she would never forget, in which she had somehow managed to finagle an actual conversation out of the usually taciturn man. She still wasn't sure how she had done it, though if she had to guess, the glass of whiskey he had been nursing at the time probably had a lot to do with it.

Breathless, from yet another dance, Hermione had snuck over to a lonely corner to hide. She hadn't realized that she wasn't alone until Snape's slightly slurred voice was hissing in her ears, demanding that she find her own hiding spot. She had begged to stay, at least until Henry, one of her more ardent fans, got tired of looking for her. In a brief moment of pity, or maybe it was borne from empathy, from dealing with his own new and certifiable admirers, he had relented. Within ten minutes, she was gripping her own glass of wine, and they were discussing magical theory, arguing over the merits of Wandlore in Potions and even trading the odd flirtation.

Or rather, she should say that well into her cups, she had decided to shamelessly flirt with the man and he hadn't seem opposed to it. Emboldened by the fact that he hadn't thrown a volley of hexes at her, she had continued to slip in sly innuendos and outrageous comments all night. Snape, for his part, seemed surprised, but pleased.

It had been a fabulous night. Actually, Hermione could easily say that it was the best time she ever had at one of those insipid events. It was a night that she would always remember. Unfortunately, from the partial glaze in his eyes, Hermione could only guess that, for the professor, their surprisingly lively conversation had been swept away behind the haze of alcohol the next morning. That's what it seemed like anyway, when the man went right back to ignoring her existence.

Nevertheless, that moment of shared camaraderie and intellectual stimulation had been an epiphany for the witch. Professor Snape, when he was not acting rude or biting, was funny, intelligent, and a pleasure to be around. And when his face wasn't scrunched up into a bitter sneer, he was actually-her blush spread-quite attractive.

Yes, the impossible had happened. On that night, Hermione developed a crush on her ex-Potions professor.

Not simple-minded, she had kept the new development to herself. She could only imagine what her friends would say. _Probably try to get me checked out at St. Mungos._ But that would be nothing compared to what the man in question would do to her, if he found out. And she wouldn't have the shield of alcohol to protect her either.

Still, she found she couldn't let her crush go all together. Unbidden, her mouth would open with a friendly greeting whenever their paths crossed. Her eyes sought him out in a crowd, and she made up excuses to be pass him at ministry functions.

So, just as she had done many times before, Hermione moved to intercept the man, a smile already forming on her lips.

The usually observant wizard still had yet to see her.

He was obviously distracted by something, as his face was turned away from her and looking down to his left. Hermione followed his gaze and nearly gasped when she saw the little girl tugging on his hand. Curiosity seizing her body, Hermione cleared her throat politely, alerting the two to her presence.

Snape was the first to see her, as he came to an abrupt stop, not even ten steps away. An odd expression came across his face, as he stared at the witch in front of him. The little brunette holding his hand followed his lead, shifting her body so that she was hiding behind his robes. Pretty brown eyes peaked at Hermione curiously.

Hermione smiled warmly at her, giving her a small, non-threatening wave. "Hello. My name is, Hermione Granger. What's yours?"

Snape replied, before the girl could, tugging her more firmly to his side in a protective stance. "Her name is, Selene." At his words, Hermione's attention snapped to him.

She gave him a smile that she hoped was just as welcoming. "Hello-" what did she call him now that he wasn't teaching? Mr. Snape, Potions Master Snape? She decided to play it safe and settle on, "sir. How have you been?"

"Perfectly well, Miss Granger." He paused, uncomfortably, as if waiting for her to scurry off, now that he had answered her questions.

 _As if._ She mentally scoffed. There was no way she was walking away without some answers. She didn't think the girl was his daughter. The two looked nothing alike. The child's hair was too brown, her skin too tanned, her nose round and button like and her lips rounded and rosy.

 _Then again, she could just heavily favor her mother…_ There was an unpleasant pang in her chest that she tried to ignore.

She looked back at the girl. "How are you liking Hogwarts then, Selene?"

Selene, growing more confident, stepped out from behind the professor's legs. She looked up at Snape expectantly, tugging on his hand when he wouldn't make eye contact.

Snape heaved a dramatic sigh, before looking down at the girl. After a moment of silence, he addressed Hermione. "She says that the castle is wonderful."

Hermione looked between the two, one of her eyebrows rising in question. "She does, does she?"

"Yes." Looking uncomfortable, Snape cleared his throat. "Selene was in an Fiendfyre accident that damaged her vocal cords. At the moment I am her only means for communication."

"Oh…" Hermione looked down at the little girl, pity flashing across her face only briefly, before she conjured a warm, but determined, smile.

Kneeling on the floor so that she was on Selene's level, Hermione's hands rose, gesturing awkwardly. Selene followed her hands, her little eyebrows furrowed in a frown of frustration.

When she wasn't getting the reaction she had been hoping for out of the young girl, Hermione gave up with a wry smile. "I'm sorry," the older witch said to Selene, sheepishly biting her lip. "I'm not that good at it, so you probably couldn't understand a lick of what I just signed."

"Miss Granger, what are talking about and what were you doing with your hands?" Snape asked, sharing a look of confusion with Selene.

A blush swept up Hermione's neck when she realized neither man nor child had understood what she had been doing. The young woman kept forgetting that things were done differently in the Wizarding World.

Hermione clasped her hands in front of her. "Um…I was doing sign language…it's a muggle language for those who are mute or deaf. They speak with their hands in a series of gestures and signs instead of with their mouths. Only, I'm not that good with it. I had a cousin who was deaf, so I read a book on it when I was about nine, but it's been ages since then, and I can only basically remember the alphabet and a few words." And she realized she was rambling, and quickly shut her mouth.

Snape nor Selene seemed to care, though, both looking equally as interested in what the curly-haired witch had to say. "Sign language," Snape murmured, thoughtfully. "And you said that there were books on the subject?"

Hermione blinked. "Um, yeah-yes! I mean yes, there are. There are also classes you can take or tutors you can hire for a more hands on approach."

Snape looked down at Selene, his eyebrow quirking up. Whatever he said caused Selene to nod her head enthusiastically. A dimpled smile emerging on her face.

"Miss Granger, would you mind giving me the information on these classes?" the wizard asked almost politely. "While I have been given leave to use Legilimancy with Selene, a better option needs to be found. And until we can find a more permanent magical solution, teaching her sign language should suffice."

"Oh, well alright then. If you'd like I can talk to my cousin about who she was taught be. Will you be staying in the castle?"

"For the time being, yes," the professor replied. "I take it that you will be staying in the castle as well?"

Tucking an errant strand behind her ear, Hermione nodded with a small smile. "Yes, I'm taking over the Charm's position for Professor Filius."

If Snape was surprised by this, he didn't show it. Instead his dark eyes raked over her slowly, making her insides squirm. "Indeed."

Swallowing, Hermione looked away, cursing as her cheeks heated again. Could her body not stay calm for just one second around this man? She needed to leave before she did something stupid.

Smiling down at Selene, she pumped the girl's tiny hand in a brief handshake. "Well, it was nice meeting you Selene. I imagine that I'll be seeing you often." She turned to give the Professor a respectful but quick nod. "Professor. I'll bid you both goodnight."

With that she walked passed the unlikely pair, towards her new rooms. With her head down, she entirely missed the roving black eyes that watched her go, following her figure with interest, before she turned a corner and was out of sight.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't forget to leave a review!** **Thanks for reading! ^-^**


	5. Chapter 5

**As promised, this story is back online. As I said before, I will NEVER abandon a story, so yes, while the updates on this will still be slow. I will get them done! I swear it!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has stuck by this story, and given me your patience. We're officially half way done with this one (as I said, its a short one)**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 5

True to her word, Hermione left the castle first thing in the morning to call her cousin. With the magic of the school sure to interfere, she had to trek all the way down to the gates of the school and past the wards to make her call. It was a bit of an inconvenience to schlep so far just for a phone call, especially in nothing but her pajamas and robe (she had high hopes of returning to her bed directly after), but she knew that the usual owl service was out of the question. Margaret would not be pleased to see a owl in her kitchen at 7 in the morning.

The call itself had been relatively short. She had talked to Margaret, who was amiable to meeting Selena, gotten a few recommendations on books to start with, and of course sent her love to her Aunt and Uncle who were backpacking their way across Greece at the moment. All in the span of ten minutes. Tops.

After hanging up, she wasted no time in hiking back to her room. The good news, she told herself, would hold until she met up with Snape and Selena later that day.

She was just slipping under her warm, welcoming covers, when she heard the disheartening intrusion of a knock on her door.

 _Why? Why are you punishing me, universe?_ She pushed up from her bed, and grabbed her robes off the back of her chair, slipping it on as she went to answer the door.

With his arms crossed, and foot tapping impatiently, Severus Snape, stood on her doorstep. Hiding partially behind his legs, Selene was peeking through his robes, a tentative smile on her lips. Snape's mouth twisted slightly when she continued to stare.

Hermione blinked. "Uh…sorry, sorry," she mumbled, stepping back so that her guests could come in. "Please, have a seat. I'm sorry, you've caught me in such a state. If you just give me a few seconds, I'll go get changed."

"Very well." Snape waved her off, elegantly floating onto a nearby sofa. Selene quickly scrambled up on the cushioned seat, burrowing into his side easily, like a cat seeking warmth. Leaving them to entertain themselves, Hermione, still embarrassed, raced back into her rooms.

"Clothes, clothes, where are some damn clothes," she muttered, shuffling through her closet like a tornado, picking up and throwing clothes away without a care. "Why don't I have anything to wear!"

Finally, in the back of her closet (why were her best clothes always hidden in the back of her closet, anyway?) she found a pretty royal blue sundress. It was simply made, of common cloth, and little to no extravagant embellishments, but the cut complimented her figure wonderfully and the color worked well with her skin. It might have been a bit much for just having a quick chat with a fellow professor, but she figured this would be her last opportunity to wear her Muggle clothes before school started and she was forced to wear her classroom robes.

Yeah, that was right. She definitely hadn't picked the dress because it made her boobs look fantastic and she was hoping a certain wizard would notice. Really.

Slipping on the dress, she took a moment to admire it on her figure before hurrying to her bathroom mirror, eyeing her impossible hair critically. There was nothing for it really. She didn't have time to wrestle with it today, so she would just have to wrench up into a loose bun and hope for the best.

Doing just that, she pushed on a pair of low heeled black sandals and grabbed her beaded bag. It probably clashed horribly with her outfit, but the worn bag had seen her through a lot of horrible days and was really useful with its Protection and Extension charms. So, she kept it with her, never really getting to adding Extendable Charms to her other bags, as she kept saying she would.

Ready now, for whatever Snape had come to throw at her, Hermione rejoined her visitors, who had indeed found a way to entertain themselves in the form of a very wiley, orange cat. Or at least Selene had.

Crookshanks was sprawled lazily across Selene's lap, his belly up in the air as he batted playfully at the quill she held above him. And since Selene was so close to Snape, Crookshanks' hind legs were naturally stretching out on his thighs. Not one to be distracted from a good game, or from adoring attention, the ginger feline paid no attention to the heated glare that was being sent to him from one very annoyed Potions Master. Hermione speculated that the only reason Snape wasn't currently throwing her familiar across the room for his impertinence was because Selene seemed to be having such a good time with him.

Smothering a laugh, Hermione decided to come to the wizard's rescue (not that he would ever admit or thank her for the help). Artfully she scooped up her cat, and took a seat on Selene's other side so she could still get to her new friend.

"Thank you for waiting," Hermione began, and ever the good hostess, she added, "would you like some tea? I can put the kettle on." She motioned to the tiny kitchenette attached to her sitting room.

"That will not be necessary," Snape answered. "I came to take you up on your offer."

Briefly, the memory of drunkenly propositioning the man at the ministry ball popped into her head, and she blinked in surprise. _But no, he can't mean…_

"Pardon? What offer?" She asked, because she had a feeling that he was talking about something completely different. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Selene and Crooks had moved to the floor, where Crooks was practicing pouncing on his new human toy.

Huffing in irritation, Severus drolly reminded her, "I'm referring to your offer to show me bookstores where I can procure books on Sign Language…for Selene. You cannot tell me you've managed to completely forget our conversation over the course of one night."

"Oh!" Hermione straightened, of course that was what he meant. She mentally smacked her head. "Of course, of course. No, I didn't forget, and yes the offer still stands."

"Very good, then we'll leave in a half hour. We'll be waiting by the front entrance." Standing up quickly, Snape brushed himself off, collecting his charge so they could go.

"Wait, you want to go now?" Hermione cried, following the audacious man to the door.

The dark wizard turned around his eyebrow raising. "You have nothing pressing to do at the moment, do you?" he stated, more than asked, as if this were all a formality and he knew she was going to comply with his demands.

His tone alone, made her very tempted to come up with some outrageous lie about prior engagements, but she couldn't lie her way out of a paper bag, and she knew he would call her on any attempt. So, she told the truth.

"Well no…"

"And you are already dressed and ready to go out?" His face remained impassive, though his eyes leisurely traveled down her body, inciting a small shiver down her spine.

"I suppose…"

"Then, again, I will see you at the front gate in a half hour. Do not be late." Turning on his heel, he lead Selene away, who turned around to happily wave at Hermione and her cat. Though Hermione suspected that most of that acknowledgement was for her cat.

Nudging said, orange fur ball back into her rooms with her toe, she closed the door with a sigh. Why could she never properly handle an interaction with that man?

Hands on her hips, she looked around the room, not quite sure what to do with herself. "Well, Crooks, I guess I'm going book shopping."

* * *

Severus leaned up against the gate's door while waiting for Miss Granger to arrive. Selene was of course, by his side, her little fingers playing with the dials on his wrist watch, with a satisfied smirk.

Her satisfaction mostly came from the cookie that she was happily munching on at the moment, more so than the watch she was fiddling with. The cookie had of course been her idea. Her fledging Slytherin mind, quickly concocted an excuse for why she should have a treat so early in the day, when he outright denied her request.

Not one to give up, she had convinced him to relent with a promise that she wouldn't ask for anything else while they were out. He was curious to see how long she would last.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked, sarcastically. It was like second nature to slip into her mind and wait for her answer.

Her tiny mental voice, much more used to projecting now, came easily to him. " _Where's the lady? She's late, isn't she?"_

Severus snorted. It was amusing, how well Selene was able to pick up on his pet peeves by now. Tardiness being a prime one.

"Yes, I suppose she is."

 _"Where are we going?"_

"Out to Muggle London, I believe."

Selene's eyes grew wide. " _Really? I get to see Muggles!"_

"You've never seen Muggles before?" Severus looked at her curiously.

Her head shook, even as she began bouncing with excitement. _"Not a lot. Daddy didn't really like going to the Muggle world. He said it was weird…"_

Severus snorted. "I assure you. Muggles would think our world was just as weird.

 _"Becky grew up in the Muggle world,"_ Selene replied not really paying attention to what he had said. _"She's Muggle-bread. She's real proud about that, but I don't get it. Why would she want to be toast?"_

"The term you're looking for is Muggle-born, not Muggle- **bred** ," Severus corrected her with a smirk.

 _"Huh?"_

"She is Muggle-born. It means that her parents are…were Muggles."

 _"So they didn't do any magic? Why not? Did their wands get taken?"_

"No, they never had magic to begin with. You can't lose what you never had." Severus looked at his watch again. Where on Earth was Granger?

As if right on cue, said witch came jogging towards them, her cheeks attractively flushed from the short exercise.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I couldn't find my blasted jacket!" She said, holding up a light-weight black jacket as poof, then she looked him over. Her eyes blinked in surprise. "Oh! You're wearing Muggle clothes."

The witch eyed him with interest as if his different clothes made him an exotic new species that she had just discovered. He didn't know why. They were nothing special, just black slacks, a white button down shirt and his dragon hide boots. It was what he usually wore minus his frock coat and robes.

Severus crossed his arms self consciously, partially obscuring her view of his attire. Already he was missing the comforting layers of his robes. His current outfit, punctuated by Granger's curious eyes left him feeling slightly naked. Especially his neck. His shirt did little to hide it away and even with the heavy glamour charm that he had added to hide the nasty scars, his neck still felt…exposed. He was tempted to put on a scarf, despite the warm weather.

But Granger didn't need to know that. In fact the sooner they dropped this topic all together the better.

"Yes," he replied, "I felt the occasion called for it. Seeing as we are going to Muggle London. Now, will you be apparating us or shall I?"

His question seemed to snap the witch out of her daze. "Um, right! No, I can do it." She offered him her arm. "Grab on then."

Severus couldn't explain why he did what he did next. Perhaps he just wanted to see Granger squirm in retaliation for the discomfort her perusal had given him. Maybe it was because he just liked throwing her off kilter because it made her blush in a most becoming way. For whatever reason, he found himself ignoring her offered elbow, and instead winding his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

Granger squeaked, her eyes racing up to his, as her face turned red. Severus stared down at her, fully aware of the fact that her face was only inches apart from his own. "Problem, Miss Granger?"

"No!" Her voice cracked slightly and she looked away while she cleared her throat. "Um, no problem at all." With a shaky hand she reached down and grabbed Selene's free hand. "Right let's go."

With a pop, they were gone.

* * *

 **A/N: And yes, Severus has already claimed Selene for Slytherin House. He's such a undercover proud-pseudo papa, even if he won't admit it. XD**

 **Let me know what you think~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you everyone who reviewed! I'm so glad you guys are still interested in this story!**

 **There was one review that asked about the phone call and how Margaret was able to hear it. The answer is explained later in this chapter, but I'll just answer here too.**

 **I've actually based Margaret on my own cousin who was born deaf in one ear. He has to wear a hearing aid to help him pick up noises properly and can read lips pretty well and hold his own in any conversation, but he also prefers sign language, simply because its easier. So when he's with certain people he'll just resort to using sign language instead of talking. So technically speaking Margaret is hearing impaired, not completely deaf. (btw her sense of humor was also borrowed from my cousin)**

* * *

Chapter 6

London was just as busy and pulsating with life as Hermione remembered. It had been a while since she had a reason to linger in the Muggle side of the city. Usually when she came by it was only so she could get to the Leaky Cauldron or through one of the other secret entrances hidden throughout the city.

Tiny fingers squeezed her hand, and Hermione looked down at Selene, who was safely nestled between her and Severus. The girl's eyes were bulging with excitement and nearly as wide as her eager smile.

"This is Muggle London," Hermione explained to her quietly, "the crowds can be a bit bothersome, so stay close to one of us. Okay?"

Selene nodded carefully. Snape stayed surprisingly quiet.

"Good, Lets go then." And the three were off, traveling down the crowded streets. Hermione, taking her job as tour guide seriously, pointed out certain land marks to her audience, gave brief explanations of the curious bits of technology they were seeing and so on. She wasn't entirely sure that Snape was as unknowledgeable about the Muggle world as the majority of other wizards she knew (given that he actually grew up in the Muggle World himself) but his attentive focus and respectful silence during her spiel on the city gave her the confidence to forge ahead undeterred.

The small group finally arrived at their destination, a quaint little bookshop with a wooden sign saying, 'Alder's Books and Baubles'. The old, fogged over glass and wood trimming gave the small unassuming place a charming and antiquated feel.

Hermione pulled open the door for Snape and Selene, smiling at the small ding from the bell above.

"Hermione!" An old man moved from behind the front counter to give her a squeezing hug.

"Hello Lenny. How've you been?"

"Wonderful! Even better now that you are here." He winked at her roguishly.

"Oh stop, you old flirt!" She batted him away.

He chuckled good naturedly and stepped back. "What can I do for you, my dear? Anything I can help you find?"

"Not for me no, but my friend here," she gently nudged Selena in front of her. "is looking for books on sign language. Something to help her communicate better."

"Ah I see." God bless Lenny, who didn't try to pry further into their business, but simply took Hermione's request in stride, and led the odd trio to a couple of bookshelves towards the back. It was lined with books on sign language, both old, new and used.

"Would you like tea at your regular table, Hermione?" Lenny asked her.

"Yes, please. Earl grey for me." Hermione looked to Snape with a questioning glance.

"The same," he responded.

"I have hot chocolate for the little miss and a chocolate biscuit, if she'd like that." Lenny smiled down at Selena, his grin widening at her enthusiastic nod. Snape sighed softly beside her. "Excellent! I'll have your drinks ready for you in a few moments. Pardon me."

When Lenny was well out of ear shot, Snape glared down at Selena who was sheepishly scuffing her shoes against the wooden floor.

"Am I missing something?" Hermione asked, glancing between the two.

Selena shook her head no, and abruptly turned around pointing towards one of the books on a higher shelf, in hopes of distracting her guardian. Snape scoffed at the younger witch's antics, but otherwise remained quiet.

Still confused, yet oddly charmed by the pair, Hermione grabbed the book Selena was aiming for and a few others and led them to the front of the store where several arm chairs and coffee tables were spread out. They found a little nook to settle in and laid out their books in front of them.

Hermione let Selena choose the first one, and the two sat back, the children's picture book on sign language laid out on their laps. It started with the very basics, the alphabet, which was good because the basics were pretty much all Hermione was confident in, aside from a handful of words. Her knowledge on the extensive language of hand gestures had fallen into a very sorry state. A refresher was just what the doctor ordered.

She ran through the letters with Selena, guiding her fingers when needed. She smiled up at Lenny when he came back with a tea tray for them.

"Just what I needed. Thanks, Lenny," Hermione said, accepting the tray, and placing it down on the low table in front of them. The older gentlemen preened under the praise. He pointed to a cup that was already filled with a rich dark liquid.

"And here is the hot chocolate for the young one. Do be careful, it's still rather hot," Lenny said.

Selene made to grab the cup, but Snape held her back.

"Wait until it cools first," he murmured to her. Selene slumped back with a pout.

"Now, now," Lenny chuckled quietly, "You'd best listen to your father. One sip of that right now and you'll burn your tongue."

Beside Selene, Snape stiffened. Lenny, unaware of the awkward mistake he had just made, continued to prattle on about drinking hot chocolate with his own father when he was just a lad. Hermione chanced a covert glance towards Snape.

His black eyes were connected to Selene's, his face impassive in an unnerving way, as if his mind had short-circuited at the idea of being Selene's or anyone's father for that matter. Watching him curiously, Selene seemed to take the mistake with much better grace. She scooted closer to his side, and grabbed his hand. Her tiny fingers wrapping around his three middle fingers.

For an agonizingly long second, Severus did nothing. Staring down at their hands as if an alien would burst from between their fingers any second. And then just like that, the moment passed. Snape's larger fingers closed around Selene's and he seemed to come back to himself.

Hermione ducked her head, hiding her smile behind her teacup. Today was turning out to be very interesting indeed.

* * *

By the time they left the small bookstore, Selene had managed to nab two more cookies from the gullible old man. When Severus had asked her about her promise that morning, the cheeky little witch had the nerve to tell him; _"But I didn't ask for any cookies. He just gave them to me."_

And she was partially right. Their agreement that morning had been that if she had a cookie for breakfast that morning then she wouldn't _ask_ for anymore sweets that day, but there had been no clause that said she couldn't receive any.

He was torn between feeling immense pride in the fact that the cunning little minx found a loophole, and irritated that the _cunning little minx found a loophole_! It was an odd juxtaposition to be in, and he wondered if other guardians ever felt this way about their charges.

Ah well. If Selene was indeed shaping up to be a Slytherin, then he would just have to treat her like one. His girl clearly did not know who she was dealing—

His thoughts froze, and he halted mid step. Did he just call her his girl. His mind came to a stuttering pause, much like it had in the bookstore when that old codger had called Selene his daughter and he had felt a strange tingle in his chest. He was feeling it even now. Indigestion maybe?

Selene tugged on his hand and he stared down at her.

 _Why did ya stop?_

 _'Why did you,'_ he corrected automatically, and began to walk again. Perhaps his heartburn was coming back.

"My cousin just called," Hermione said, rejoining their group as she closed her phone and dropped it back in her bag. "She just got home now, so we can drop in if we wanted. Do you have the time?"

"That should be fine," Severus answered. "We had no plans for the evening."

"Would you like to meet my cousin, Selene? She'll be able to teach you sign language much easier than I can," Hermione asked her.

Selene nodded hesitantly, clutching to his leg again. She didn't say anything, but Severus already knew that she was not the outgoing sort. Meeting new people was always a trial for her. He could feel the anxiety traveling through their bond.

Very subtly he squeezed her hand, the movement too small for Granger to catch, but it was all the reassurance Selene needed. She started to relax again.

Granger flagged down a cab and the trio squeezed into the back seat. There wasn't much space for three separate bodies, so Selene ended up sitting on his lap. With a grunt, Severus repositioned the girl, stretching out his long legs in the process, which ended up brushing against Hermione's.

"Apologies," Severus murmured when he felt her stiffen at the contact. He moved to retract his left leg.

"No, no keep them there for as long as you like," Hermione said, then realized how that could be construed and rushed to correct herself. "I-I mean, you have longer legs than I do, it's only natural that you'd want to stretch them out. I would if I were you. This cab is rather cramped so we are pressed for room. Well you more so than me. I have…tiny legs…"

By the end of her verbal vomit her face was a vibrant red, and she had to resist the urge to jump out of the car and high-tail it back to Hogwarts alone.

 _Oh God, why doesn't the earth just swallow me whole now!_ Hermione thought, rubbing at her face tiredly. He probably thought that she was a crazy woman.

"Very well," Severus finally responded a trace of mirth in his voice. He shifted again in his seat which brought his left leg flush against her right. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the tiniest twitch of his lips

Hermione turned away, stubbornly looking at the window. She remained that way for the entire trip, though hyper aware of every inch of his leg that was connected to her own, and the pleasant heat seeping into her thigh. Eventually her body relaxed and she pressed back, unaware of the satisfied smirk on the Potions Masters' face.

* * *

They pulled up to a small townhouse on the outskirts of Dulwich village. The layout of the land so 'quaint' that Severus nearly got back into the cab and drove away. The front gates were blanketed by an army of bright flowers, so much so that he could only see a peek of white wood underneath the assault of foliage. By the foot of the gates was a porcelain lawn ornament of a shy brown bear holding a sign up that said, 'I hope you have a _beary_ good day.'

He nearly vomited in his mouth.

"I know," Hermione commented dryly, "but just wait…there's more." She opened the gate and his jaw dropped at the heinous site. There were gnomes, cupids, statues of deers, small wooden windmills, and wind chimes hanging from every available surface. And flowers EVERYWHERE. There barely seemed to be any lawn left with all the useless brick-a-brak. Selene clenched at his legs, eyeing a small statue of a frog in a tuxedo suspiciously.

Severus had to wonder if it was a good to bring his charge here. Anyone who had this much ornamentation on their lawn was obviously unwell, and he definitely didn't want them around the girl. Just who was Granger taking them to?

"It's not my cousin's doing," Hermione explained as if she could read his thoughts. "She rents the place so she has no real say in what goes on the outside of the house…Her landlady is a little…"

"Crazy?" Severus supplied.

"I was going to say senile. But she's really sweet, and the rent is ridiculously cheap for the area, so Margaret deals with it."

"Hmm, if you say so."

"Come on." Hermione lead them up to pastel green door, and pressed the doorbell.

"Miss Granger, not to offend, but if your cousin is deaf, how will she be able to hear the doorbell?" Severus asked.

"Oh, she's not truly deaf, just hearing impaired I should say. She was born deaf in her left ear, and with hearing in her right," Hermione explained. "She uses a hearing aid to pick up most things and does well with speech-reading."

"So why the need for sign language?"

"She prefers it. It's easier to use for her and her words come out a little off, tone wise, so she's not comfortable speaking often." Hermione crossed her arms, her expression becoming fierce. "She used to get bullied constantly because of her voice when she was a kid, and adults aren't much better to be honest, so she only talks when she absolutely must."

Severus hummed thoughtfully. He could almost picture a younger Hermione standing in front of her cousin protectively. Her bushy hair standing on edge like a puffed up cat.

"And so you learned sign language too," he stated. "How old were you?"

"Nine, and like I said before I was never that great at it. So saying I 'learned it' is a bit of a stretch. She was comfortable enough talking around me, but mostly because I never pushed her to do it and in turn she taught me some sign language." Hermione shrugged.

The door opened and a woman with familiar brown curly hair (only more tamed and shorter) stepped out. A spattering of freckles stood on her nose and cheeks, and she stood maybe a half a head shorter than Hermione. She wore simple jeans and a loose t-shirt that read, 'You can talk to me anytime, I'm a _great_ listener' on the front. Severus raised an eyebrow at the shirt. Cheekiness apparently ran in the family.

"Margaret!" Hermione called, rushing forward to wrap her cousin up in a hug.

"It's good to see you, Hermione," the woman replied in a soft voice.

He could feel the curiosity ebbing from Selene as she patiently watched the cousins' interaction.

"This is Severus, and Selene," Hermione introduced them. Severus held out his hand, giving the woman a firm shake. She smiled back at him, nodding her head.

"A pleasure," he murmured. He nudged Selene forward as well to take the proffered hand Margaret was holding out. Tiny fingers came up, mimicking the motion she had seen Severus make.

With another smile, Margaret waved them inside, opening the door wide.

* * *

 **A/N: Just in case you were wondering, yes my cousin does actually own a shirt that says that, as well as my personal favorite, a hat that says; 'I didn't quite catch what you said...but mostly because I was ignoring you.' -It's awesome.**

 **Anyway, review and let me know what you think~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Whuuuuut?! Two chapters in one day?! Craziness!~**

 **;P enjoy**

* * *

Chapter 7

The inside of the house was thankfully much more subdued than the outside, and Severus let out a sigh of relief. Hermione shot him an accusatory look over her shoulder. They were lead to a small seating area with a couch and two arm chairs. Severus bypassed his usual choice of a solitary chair to sit on the couch with Selene.

A tug on Hermione's hand from Selene ensured that the witch take the empty spot beside them. With a chuckle, Hermione did as she was told.

"Before she comes back, I just wanted to go over some things to make this easier for everyone," Hermione began. Severus motioned for her to continue. "It's nothing big, but it'll help Margaret understand you better. She can hear, but it helps that when you talk to her your facing her directly, and that you don't speak too fast. You don't have to exaggerate or yell, but a nice even pace is perfect."

"Sounds reasonable," Severus responded, beside him Selene nodded gravely, causing Hermione to grin. Even if the request wasn't directed at the girl, it was nice to know she was considerate enough to listen to it seriously.

Margaret, who had disappeared down the hall, came back with a tray of tea, small sandwiches and cookies, setting them down on the coffee table in front of her guests.

Selene immediately perked up, her hand already moving towards the cookies.

"No," Severus said with finality, and Selene wilted back into the couch cushions looking like a kicked puppy.

Margaret shared a concerned look with Hermione who just smiled. "Selene's already had three cookies before lunch today."

"Five actually," Severus corrected her.

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Five? How did you manage that, Selene?"

Severus snorted. "She is not nearly as innocent as she appears. She's as cunning a Slytherin as I've ever seen."

"I see," Hermione chuckled. Selene seemed to sink further into the couch, a pout forming on her lips.

Seeing the childish look on the girl's face, Margaret chuckled as well, and nodded. She turned to Hermione, her hands moving slowly.

Hermione followed them as best she could, but realized the speed was still too much for her. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Margaret, it's been awhile. Could you repeat that a little slower."

Margaret nodded with a patient smile, and started again.

"Oh, I see." Hermione turned to Severus. "She wanted to know what happened. I gave her a run down of the situation earlier but she just wanted to get a better grasp on what we're asking of her."

"That's perfectly understandable," Severus replied and turned to Margaret. "Selene was unfortunately caught in a burning building and only just barely managed to get out. Unfortunately, she was in the building long enough to sustain a number of injuries, most are healed now except for her voice."

Margaret signed something. "Why her voice?" Hermione translated.

"The smoke damaged her lungs and throat so severely that talking is a painful endeavor for her," he explained. "Thus we are looking for an alternative, so she can still communicate."

"We've been out buying books on sign language this morning, but you know that it's easier if you have a teacher to help you along," Hermione finished.

Margaret nodded, her hands moving again.

"She wants to know if you'll be learning too," Hermione said.

"Naturally," Severus drawled. "I would not be here otherwise."

Margaret beamed, signing at Hermione who smiled in turn.

"She says, 'that's good. It's always easier when the family is supportive.'" Hermione paused watching her cousin's hands again. "She wants to start on the basics today. Greetings and short answers like 'thank you,' and 'yes and no' and things like that."

"Not the alphabet?" Severus asked.

Hermione shook her head. "We'll be doing that too, but she wants to make sure Selene can start communicating for herself as well."

Margaret grabbed a stack of plastic flash cards from out of a bag by her chair and held them up in the air.

Hermione turned to them, and grabbed a sandwich for herself. "We'll start with a couple of pictures."

* * *

Hermione stood in the hallway with Margaret. The two had gone back to the kitchen to clean up, catching up on their lives. Hermione had to do a lot of creative verbal aerobics, since Margaret knew nothing of the magical world and she couldn't just come out and say that she would be working in an enchanted castle teaching children how to make feathers float.

Thankfully, her cousin didn't pry, even when her answers became vague, and Hermione could have hugged her for that alone.

And now they were back in the hallway, watching Severus and Selene as they hunched over the flash cards laid out on the coffee table. Selene was now in his lap again, having managed to subtly slink her way there during the past hour with Severus none the wiser. She was pointing to a card and making a rocky attempt at the gesture for 'sorry.'

Severus very patiently redid the word for her, guiding her hands through it with a certain confidence that belied the fact that he was a novice himself.

 _He's picking up on it, really fast_ , Margaret signed. _They both are_.

"I know, almost puts me to shame," Hermione replied.

Margaret looked at her curiously. _What do you mean?_

"I'm terrible at it. I've forgotten so much."

 _You seem to be following me just fine._

"That's only because you're moving at a snail's pace. And reading a language is always easier than speaking a language. I'm barely proficient."

 _You mean how you're 'barely proficient' at French, and Spanish, and what was that other language you just learned, Russian?_

"Bulgarian, actually. It's shares a slavic root, but the two are still fairly different. And I **am** barely proficient at them. Except for French, my friend Fleur has really been helping me with my pronunciations."

Margaret rolled her eyes, ribbing her cousin. _Barely proficient to you, is the same thing as fluent to a normal non-genius._

Hermione blushed, lowly muttering, "Shut up. I'm not a genius."

 _Yes, you are. And from the looks of it, you brought me more geniuses to work with. I'm not surprised you're dating someone who has your level of intellect. Even if he is a bit older._

Had she been drinking something, Hermione was sure she'd have spat it out in shock, unfortunately all she could do was sputter incoherently, like a lunatic.

Beside her, Margaret threw back her head in near silent laughter.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hermione insisted.

 _Sure you don't. That's why your as red as a tomato right now._

"He's just a friend. I've known him a long time."

 _Long enough to make eyes at him, and check out his behind when he got up to go to the bathroom._ Margaret waggled her eyebrows at her, and Hermione groaned in mortification.

"It's not like that…"

 _But you like him, right?_

"Doesn't mean he feels the same way."

Margaret patted her shoulder with a sigh. _Hermione, I'm deaf, not blind. I can see the way he looks at you._

"What do you mean?"

 _You really are obtuse sometimes, cousin._ Margaret shook her head. _But I'll let you figure it out._

Margaret left her, returning to the pair in the living room. Hermione stared after her utterly confused.

"Figure out what?"

* * *

It was a little after 8 by the time the trio returned to Hogwarts. They had made plans to meet every Saturday and Sunday at noon time and Margaret had leant Selene her beginners flash card set, instructing her to pick ten cards a day and try to memorize them. And that if she needed any help, Hermione was 'proficient' enough that she could help her. (The jab had earned her a soft glare over Selene's head).

She had then instructed both Severus and Hermione to try and incorporate as many words and phrases they could in their conversations. Even if they weren't talking to Selene, the exercise would help them get comfortable with it, which would then help Selene.

They walked through the castle silently, a pleasant lethargy, from a long but enjoyable day settling on their bones. Selene, who had tuckered out on the cab ride back to the London, was currently asleep in Severus' arms. Her quiet breaths the only noise from the group.

They had just made it to the staircase, that would take Hermione up to the third floor, and Severus down to the dungeons, when they paused.

Hermione glanced over at Severus, her mouth almost reluctant to say goodbye. She'd had a wonderful day and was sad to see it ending so soon. As ridiculous as it was, she wanted to just stay there and bask in the comforting presence of this man and this little girl.

"I suppose," Severus began, drawing out the words carefully, "You are not hungry?"

"I'm sorry?" Hermione responded turning to him.

Severus looked away from her, as if inspecting the hall. "It is past dinner time, and the Great Hall would have stopped serving food about a half an hour ago, but if you were hungry we could have the Elves bring us something to eat in my quarters."

A smile bloomed on her face. "That…that sounds lovely, thank you."

Severus coughed softly, readjusting Selene in his hold. He motioned towards the stairs. "Then, if you would…"

"Do you need help with her?"

"No, I have her," he murmured back, descending the stairs after her.

When they got to his quarters, Severus turned into another room, and set Selene down on her bed, tucking the blankets around her. She squirmed in the bed, snuggling against her pillow before she settled back into a peaceful sleep.

Hermione was standing awkwardly in the middle of the sitting room when he rejoined her.

"Um, I set in a order to the kitchen for a platter of finger foods. I figured since we had a late lunch…" she said, chewing at her lip.

"No, that's fine," Severus grumbled. An awkward silence stretched out between the two as he struggled to find something to say. He hadn't really thought too far ahead with his plans when he made the invitation. The words just fell from his lips as they stood on the stairs, and he suddenly realized that he didn't want to part just yet.

He hadn't thought she would actually say yes.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he seemed to remember his manners and asked, "Would you like something to drink?"

Hermione straightened, a relieved smile on her face. "Yes please."

He went to his small kitchenette where his wine cabinet was and opened it. "I have both red and white, or if you'd like something stronger there's bourbon and whiskey." He pointed to a small trolley of liquor glasses in the corner of the room.

"White wine is fine thanks," she answered, taking a seat on the couch.

He brought over the wine bottle and two glasses, uncorking it and pouring hers first, then his.

"Thank you," she said, and with a grin she made the sign for it with her hands as well.

Severus snorted in amusement, before moving his hands in reply. "You're welcome."

Taking a sip of her wine, she laughed. "You know Margaret was right, you are catching on really quick. Both you and Selene. She seems to already have a few words mesmerized."

"We'll see how she fairs in the morning. Whether or not she can remember what she learned," he replied, his eyes trailing towards her bedroom door. "But she's a smart girl."

The fire place whooshed to life and a House Elf stepped through with a large platter of cheese, crackers, tiny sandwiches and fruit.

"You can just put it on the coffee table," Severus told the Elf. The Elf bowed, set it down and left.

Hermione looked after him with a sigh. "You know, it's sad but I'm almost used to having House Elves around now."

"Giving up on your SPEW campaign?" Severus teased her. "Perish the thought."

She glared at him, pursing her lips in a rather attractive manner. His thoughts wandered off, wondering how they would taste.

"Just because I understand the mindset of Elves better now doesn't mean that I still completely agree with the practice," she said. She picked up a strawberry and chewed on it thoughtfully. "The entire system relies too heavily on the character of the 'owners,' and their so called nobility. It's appalling really, the lack of legal ramifications present for abusing magical beings and creatures."

"It sounds as if you've lost all faith in humanity." He smirked. "How unfortunate."

"Maybe I have," she commented airly. "Most people **do** seem to have an incurable ineptitude when it comes to grasping the concepts of morality and altruism."

"That was remarkably cynical of you, Miss Granger."

"Hermione, please."

"Pardon?"

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and took a sip of her wine. The low light of the room seemed to make her skin glow, and he found he couldn't look away from her.

"Call me Hermione," she repeated with a wry smile. "After all, we'll be taking classes together now."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. We will be peers of a sort. Very well…Hermione," he drew out the letters of her name, savoring the way they rolled off his tongue.

She gave the faintest shiver, a light blush heating her cheeks. Encouraged, he moved closer. "Then you must call me Severus," he invited.

She blinked up at him, her large brown eyes pulling him in. Unconsciously she leaned towards him, her face just a breath away from his. "Right…Severus."

His eyes dipped down to her mouth, and he moved closer, the need to taste those soft lips clouding his mind.

There was a small clink, a barely there noise, but it was enough to shatter the moment and return the two back to reality. Their wine glasses, which they were both still holding, had brushed against each other as they had moved closer.

She was the first to move back, swallowing thickly as she looked awkwardly away. Clearing his throat, Severus followed suit.

He looked down, noticing that at some point their free hands had met on the cushion, tangling together. He looked back up to see that Hermione was watching their hands as well. Their eyes met and she seemed to be silently asking, 'is this okay?'

Severus imperceptibly moved his thumb, running it along the side of her fore finger in answer.

With a small smile, Hermione shyly asked, "Have you read anything interesting lately?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," he responded, and began to tell her about an interesting Potions article about Manticore blood he'd read last week.

Throughout the night as they talked, their hands stayed clasped together.

* * *

 **A/N: I love the awkward moments. Those two are so adorable sometimes. And Selene forever trying to sneak treats like a cunning little Slytherin. tsk tsk**

 **Hope you enjoyed and review~**


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